"Hot spots for next year’s vacation"

One last week informed me that according to the website AlterNet.com, one of the smaller towns in Indiana has the distinction of being the kinkiest city in the United States.

(And it was interesting to find out just who on our staff already knew of the town’s “charms” - although they assure me that it’s “by reputation only!”)

Roselawn, just a little northwest of Rensselaer - or southeast of Chicago if you prefer, actually beats out New Orleans and Las Vegas for the top honor. The town apparently boasts a thriving (and family friendly!) nudist resort, the Ponderosa Sun Club, which hosts a yearly pageant called “Nudes-A-Poppin,” emceed by none other than “famed” porn star Ron Jeremy.

(Does the fact that I’ve never even heard of him mean I’ve missed out on something?) ...

Continuing the prominence of mid-west locations on the list, the AlterNet list ranks Chicago itself at ninth.

If intellectual activities are your thing, you might be interested to know that for three days each October, Chi-Town’s Kinky College (a “Pansexual BDSM Institute of Higher Yearning”) allows you to get your masters’ (or master’s) degree in all things kink.

Now wouldn’t that look great on my resume?

If, like me, you’re really into culture and history, you can also check out the Leather Archives and Museum in Rogers Park. LA&M is a library, museum, and exhibit space devoted to leather, sadomasochism, and alternative sexualities. It also hosts erotic film screenings and houses a collection of old time sex toys and lascivious devices.

Quimby’s bookstore boasts an extensive collection of erotic comic books and magazines, and to help you relax after a hard day of study there are three nearby leather-friendly bars, Touche, Jackhammer and the Granville Anvil.

Chicago hosts “Shibaricon,” an international rope bondage conference. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend as I’m tied up that week!...